Headlight



July 10, 1928. 1,676,464

' -w. DA. RYAN HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 2, 1924 Fig.1. A

Inventor:

' ALLorn-g.

Patented July 10, 1928.

' WALTER DARGY RYAN, 0F

SCHENECTA-DY, mew Yonx.

- HEADLIGHT.

Application filed September 2, 1924. Serial No. 735,409.

My invention relates to improvements in headlights, and is particularly concerned with improvements in headlights for use on automobiles and other automotive vehicles.

The objects of my present invention are:

First, to provide a headlight comprising means for adequately illuminating the roadway in advance of the vehicle carrying the. headlight; v

Second, to provide a headlight comprising means for illuminating the sides of the road immediately adjacent the vehicle, so as to enable the operator to perceive the mile posts and other signs at the sides of the road Third, to provide a headlight, such as described, including means for illuminating the sides of the road to the rear of the headlight, so as to illuminate a road into which the operator is turning; and v a Fourth, to provide a hcadli ht of the char-'1 portions of the reflector 6 and deflect laterally and to the rear of the headlight. From an mspection of the drawings it will be seen that one face of each of the prisms 14.

is disposed substantially at right angles to the axisof the reflector, whereas the other face 1s dlSpOSGd'fit an acuteangle to the axis.

It will also be noted that the angle between ing the roadwayahead of the vehicle, and

the light reflected from the margin of the reflector 1S used for illuminating those poracter described that is simp e in construc- "tie ns of the sides of the road immediately adtion and economical to manufacture.

Other objects of my invention will appear as this description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which v Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section; and

Figure 2 is a sectional detail on an enlarged scale. I

Referring to the drawings, my improved headlight comprises a suitable casing or housing 5, containing and supporting a refiector 6 that may be either ellipsoidal, hyperboloidal or'paraboloidal, as may be desired. This reflector is supported by a ring 7 carried by the housing 5. An electric lamp 8 is carried by a suitable socket 9, supported in the bottom of the reflector 6. The filament 10 of the lamp 8 is preferably positioned at or near the focal point of the re fiector 6. .A bowl-shaped outwardly convex lens 11 is positioned in front of the reflector (Sand is provided with a marginal flange 12 that is clamped to the housing 5 by means of suitable clips 13, or in any other desired manner.

The lens 11 is substantially uniform in thickness, except at its margin where it is provided with a plurality of successively inwardly stepped, annular prisms 14 that receive the light reflected from the marginal jacent the vehicle. .The directions of the forwardly projected rays and the laterally and rearwardly projecting rays are clearly indicated by the arrows in the drawings.

By placing the annular prisms so as to deflect the rays of light reflected from the marginal portions of the reflector,.I eliminate the source of glare in headlights of con ventional design and make use of that light that usually produces glare for illuminating the roadway immediately ahead of the vehicle and for illuminating the sides of the road immediately adjacent the vehicle.

While I have described the details of con-- struction of the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be clearl understood that my invention is not llmited to these details, but is capable of other adaps tations and modifications Within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention,

angles between said faces increasing from the inner to the outer prism and the greater portion of said lens being substantially nonrefractive whereby the greater portion of 5 the beam reflected from said reflector ivill be projected through said non-refractive portion While the rays reflected from the marginal surface of said reflector will be intercepted by said prisms and refracted laterally. 4

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of August, 1924.

WALTER DARCY RYAN. 

